ALCOHOL-USE DISORDER AMONG ADOLESCENTS - IMPACT OF PATERNAL ALCOHOLISM ON DRINKING BEHAVIOR, DRINKING MOTIVATION, AND CONSEQUENCES

This study examined the impact of an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in bio logical fathers on drinking history, context, motivation, and conseque nces in male and female adolescents dichotomized according to the pres ence or absence of an AUD. Main effects for paternal history of an AUD were not found on any variable. Significant interactions were observe d between father-son diagnostic status with respect to age of first al cohol use (p < 0.001) and peer relationships (p < 0.001). No significa nt interactions were observed between father-daughter diagnostic statu s. As expected, adolescents with AUD differed from adolescents without AUD on numerous variables pertaining to drinking behavior, history, a nd consequences. These findings indicate that there is no strong or pe rvasive effect of paternal AUD on adolescent offspring's AUD character istics.